Risa Niigaki is a Japanese actress and singer who was born on October 20, 1988. She was a member of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume's fifth generation. Morning Musume was founded in 2001 by Ai Takahashi, Asami Konno, and Makoto Ogawa. She grew raised in Yokohama after relocating there when she was six years old. She was one of Morning Musume's longest-standing members, serving as the group's leader from October 2011 until her graduation on May 18, 2012.
Biography History
Niigaki was born in the Kanagawa prefecture of Yokohama. Before joining Morning Musume, she was the runner-up in the 'Kiss Girl Audition' to become the Tomy image girl. She participated in a Tomy Karaoke Machine commercial alongside the winner, Ai Hasegawa.
Niigaki, along with Ai Takahashi, Asami Konno, and Makoto Ogawa, became the fifth generation of Morning Musume in 2001. Tsunku, the producer of Morning Musume, stated that he chose Niigaki because she "shined during the final studio recording" for the audition song that all finalists had to sing. She made her debut and led on the group's 13th song, "Mr. Moonlight (Ai no Big Band)," making her one of the few Morning Musume members to do so. She debuted on their fourth album, 4th Ikimasshoi!. She also made her debut in a shuffle unit as part of Happy 7 in the summer of that year, alongside two other members of her generation (Ai Takahashi and Makoto Ogawa).
Later that month, all fifth-generation members were divided into subgroups. Niigaki, along with Asami Konno, was assigned to Tanpopo as a member of the third generation. The new lineup only issued one single before disbanding.
Niigaki, along with several other members of Morning Musume at the time, appeared in the 2002 drama Angel Hearts. In 2003, she joined Sakuragumi, who issued two songs before going dormant.
Niigaki was chosen in early 2007 to be a part of the Morning Musume Tanj 10nen Kinentai (10) unit, together with Kaori Iida, Natsumi Abe, Maki Goto, and Koharu Kusumi, to commemorate Morning Musume's tenth anniversary. On January 24, 2007, their first song, Bokura ga Ikiru My Asia (My Asia), was released. Miki Fujimoto left from Morning Musume on June 1, 2007, and Ai Takahashi took over as leader, with Risa Niigaki serving as sub-leader.
Following the revelation of Nozomi Tsuji's pregnancy, Niigaki took over Tsuji's role as Athena in the Robby & Kerobby anime series. Niigaki was placed in the unit Athena & Robikerottsu in October 2007, alongside fellow Morning Musume member Aika Mitsui, as well as Saki Nakajima and Chisato Okai of Cute.
Then, in July 2008, it was reported that Niigaki and Ai Takahashi would play the 1970s idol J-pop duo Pink Lady in the TV drama Hitmaker Aku Y Monogatari. Morning Musume staged a version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella with the Takarazuka Revue from August 6 to August 25, 2008, with Niigaki starring as the Prince. On February 12, 2009, it was announced that Morning Musume would be one of the first official guests of honour at the 2009 Anime Expo, the nation's largest anime convention. "The movies that Disney makes are full of dreams," Niigaki said in an interview, "but when I have children, I'd like them to know about war, the pain of death, and such things, so I hope they will watch [anime]." Niigaki also said that Sailor Moon was her favourite anime, claiming that "we copied the hairstyles and had a 'Sailor Moon' playhouse in kindergarten." Niigaki is one of four Morning Musume members who have been with the band for seven years or more (the others are Kaori Iida, Hitomi Yoshizawa, and fellow fifth-generation member Ai Takahashi). On January 17, 2009, Niigaki and Takahashi broke Kaori Iida's four-year record as the longest-serving members of Morning Musume. Later that month, Niigaki and Takahashi became the first members of Morning Musume to remain for eight years. Later, Niigaki was assigned to the new shuffle group ZYX-, which also included Koharu Kusumi, Maasa Sudo, Momoko Tsugunaga, Erika Umeda, Chinami Tokunaga, Saki Ogawa, and Ayaka Wada.
On January 9, 2011, Ai Takahashi announced her graduation from Morning Musume and Hello! ProjectHello! A project nearing the conclusion of their autumn 2011 performance tour. After Takahashi graduated, Niigaki would take over as Morning Musume's leader. After Takahashi graduated, Niigaki became the sole Hello! Project member who had joined before the Hello! Project Kids, and he holds the record for the longest-serving Morning Musume and Hello! Project member.
On the final day of their Spring Concert Tour, May 18, she would graduate from Morning Musume and Hello! Project in Nippon Budokan. Niigaki was the fourth member of Morning Musume to graduate from the Budokan. Niigaki and Aika Mitsui graduated from Morning Musume and Hello! Project on May 18, 2012. She delegated her leadership of Morning Musume to Sayumi Michishige.
Private life
Niigaki began dating Yoshikazu Kotani in 2013 after they appeared together in the stage production Absolute Boyfriend. They tied the knot on July 11, 2016, after dating for two years. On January 6, 2018, both announced on their blogs that they were divorcing due to growing apart.
Niigaki announced her remarriage to YouTube cinematographer Yasutake Yamaguchi on June 30, 2022.
| # | Title | Release date | Publisher | ISBN | Photobook information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 5 - Morning Musume 5 Ki Generation Member Shashinshū (5 モーニング娘。5期メンバー写真集) | 2002-08-16 | Wani Books | ISBN 4-8470-2721-3 | Photobook starring all of the 5th generation members |
| 1 | Niigaki Risa (1stソロ写真集「新垣里沙」) | 2004-10-07 | Wani Books | ISBN 4-8470-2827-9 | First solo photobook |
| 2 | Ama Natsu (2ndソロ写真集「あま夏」) | 2006-06-25 | Wani Books | ISBN 4-8470-2941-0 | Second solo photobook |
| 3 | Isshun (3rdソロ写真集「一瞬」) | 2007-05-27 | Wani Books | ISBN 4-8470-4013-9 | Third solo photobook |
| 4 | Happy Girl (4thソロ写真集「Happy Girl」) | 2008-04-25 | Wani Books | ISBN 4-8470-4080-5 | Fourth solo photobook |
| Show | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Hello! Morning (ハロー！モーニング。) | 2001 | April 1, 2007 |
| Tin Tin Town! (ティンティンTown!) | July 5, 2002 | March 26, 2004 |
| Sore Yuke! Gorokkies (それゆけ!ゴロッキーズ) | September 29, 2003 | December 26, 2003 |
| Futarigoto (二人ゴト) | July 1, 2004 | July 2, 2004 |
| July 23, 2004 | July 29, 2004 | |
| Majokko Rika-chan no Magical v-u-den (魔女っ娘。梨華ちゃんのマジカル美勇伝) | October 21, 2004 | November 10, 2004 |
| Musume Dokyu! (娘Dokyu!) | June 13, 2005 | — |
| Haromoni@ (ハロモニ@) | April 8, 2007 | September 28, 2008 |
| Program | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Tanpopo Henshūbu Oh-So-Ro! (タンポポ編集部 Oh-So-Ro!) | September 24, 2002 | September 23, 2003 |
| TBC Fun Fīrudo Mōretsu Mōdasshu (TBC Funふぃーるど・モーレツモーダッシュ) | April 1, 2005 | April 15, 2005 |
| July 25, 2005 | August 5, 2005 | |
| Hello Pro Yanen!! (ハロプロやねん!!) | June 10, 2005 | June 24, 2005 |
| Body Measurements | 29-23-32 Inches |
| Bodytype | Slim |
| Height | 5 feet 0 inches (1.54 m) |
| Weight | 45 kg (99 lbs) |
| Waist | 23 Inches |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 34 years old (in 2023) |
| Date of Birth | October 20, 1988 |
| Full Name | Risa Niigaki |
| Profession | Actress, Singer |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Birthplace | Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
Qualification: High School Graduate
Profession: Actress, Singer
Known For: Promise Cinderella
Net Worth: $11 Million Approx
Marital Status: Single
Past Relationships:
Yoshikazu Kotani (m. 2016–2018)
Her ex-husband Yoshikazu Kotani
Favorite Destination: Ireland
Favorite Food: Chili crab
Favorite Color: Pink
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